COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMP AND LED LIGHT SOURCE WITH ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS IN BASE
Light sources are presented in which lamp ballast or LED driver circuitry is disposed within a base assembly using integrated boards with components embedded between board layers and or circular flex boards with pot core magnetic components and/or ASICs and thermally conductive board core materials with thermal vias, reflective mirrors, and/or potting materials to conduct heat out through the base to facilitate reduced form factors for lamps and/or LED light sources.
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Many conventional incandescent light bulbs utilize a so-called Edison base or cap.
In recent years, the inefficiencies of conventional incandescent bulbs 50 has lead to development of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), halogen lamps, LED array lighting devices, and other more efficient forms of light sources.
A light source is provided having one or more light emitting elements, such as LEDs, HID lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps, etc., as well as a base assembly such as an Edison base, bayonet base, or other known lamp base or cap type with a base structure and a ballast or driver. The base structure has a generally cylindrical first portion with first and second contacts, such as an Edison type with a threaded outer surface forming a first electrically conductive contact to engage a threaded socket, as well as a second electrically conductive contact separated from the first contact by an insulator. The ballast or driver includes a circuit board assembly located wholly or partially within the base structure interior, which has multiple layers with one or more embedded electrical components such as resistors, capacitors, and/or inductors formed between adjacent layers.
In certain embodiments, the board assembly is located entirely within the base interior, and the board in certain implementations has a circular outer surface extending to or near the inner surface of the threaded first portion of the base. In other embodiments, the board may extend into the lower tapered portion of the base.
In certain embodiments, potting material is formed around at least a portion of the circuit board assembly in the interior of the base structure.
A mirror is provided in certain embodiments between the light emitting element and the ballast or driver, which includes a reflective surface facing the light emitting element.
In certain embodiments, the circuit board assembly includes a thermally conductive core layer to conduct heat toward the inner surface of the first portion of the base structure. In some embodiments, the board includes thermal via structures extending through one or more board layers to the core layer in order to conduct heat toward the core layer.
In certain embodiments, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are mounted to an outer layer of the circuit board assembly.
In certain embodiments, moreover, pot core magnetic components are used in the ballast or driver circuits, and are located at least partially within the Edison based interior.
In certain embodiments, the ballast or driver includes a flex board formed into a cylinder shape with an outer surface at or near the inner surface of the first portion of the base structure. The flex board in certain embodiments extends through substantially 360 degrees, and in other embodiments a partial cylinder is formed with the flex board extending to an angle less than 360 degrees and more than 180 degrees.
One or more exemplary embodiments are set forth in the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings, where like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout, and wherein the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale, the present disclosure facilitates incorporation of driver and/or ballast circuitry completely or partially into a base of a light source to facilitate the use of CFL, LEDs, halogen and other lighting technology for energy consumption reduction through replacement of existing incandescent light bulbs without fixture modification. Thusfar, incorporation of driver/ballast components in a base has been hindered by thermal and packaging issues that impact product lifetime, performance, and reliability.
The disclosure may be advantageously employed to reduce component temperature by increasing thermal transfer away from the electronics to mitigate the impact of the heat generated by the light source. Although illustrated and described below in the context of Edison base lamps, the disclosure is also applicable to other lamp base types and styles. As shown generally in
As exemplified in the illustrated embodiments, the disclosure employs integrated boards having embedded capacitors, resistors, and/or inductors 211 integrated in one or more multilayer board assemblies 200. Directly embedding such components 211C, 211R, 211L into the circuit board 200 reduces thermal resistance between key components. The board assemblies 200 may be round with surface mount technology (SMT) components on one or both outer (top or bottom) layers 212t, 212b (
The disclosed techniques can be used in connection with CFLs, LEDs, Halogen lamps, and other light source types to facilitate replacement for improved energy efficiency while adapting the need for driver or ballast circuitry to size and/or shape restrictions associated with existing lighting fixtures having female threaded lamp sockets adapted for standard Edison base interfacing.
The base assembly 120 includes a base structure 124 defining an interior 124i, with a generally cylindrical first portion 124a having a threaded outer surface 124t forming a first electrically conductive contact to engage a threaded socket (socket not shown). A second tapered portion 124b extends down and inward from the cylindrical portion 124a to an insulator ring structure 126 that surrounds a second electrically conductive contact 122. The devices 110 in
Referring to
The illustrated circuit board assembly 200, moreover, includes thermal via structures TV extending through at least one of the layers 212 to the core layer 210 to conduct heat toward the core layer 210. In certain embodiments, such as those of
An embedded resistor 211R in one embodiment is constructed as a laser trimmed conductive (e.g., metal) feature with a feature width trimmed in a controlled fashion to implement a desired resistance value (and current carrying capacity). An embedded capacitor 211C (two examples shown in
Referring also to
Referring also to
As shown in
Another embodiment in
Referring to
Referring also to
Yet another embodiment is shown in
Yet another exemplary embodiment is shown in
The disclosure thus provides solutions to the challenge of packaging of electronics in the Edison base 120, and can be advantageously employed in low wattage devices, for example light sources rated for about 30 watts or less. The techniques can be employed to facilitate electronic component cooling through optimized use of circuit board volume through thermal vias and conductive core layers 210, as well as by directly embedding devices into the circuit board laminate. In addition, the mirror techniques 300 can reduce the impact of the hot light source 114, 602 on the electronics by incorporating a hot mirror reflector directly on the unpopulated surface of the PCBA (SMT devices are embedded). The disclosure also provides advantages for mounting components in an Edison screw base for very high wattage lighting products, where the integrated combination of two or more of these techniques facilitate heat transfer out through the Edison base itself.
The above examples are merely illustrative of several possible embodiments of various aspects of the present disclosure, wherein equivalent alterations and/or modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, systems, circuits, and the like), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component, such as hardware, processor-executed software, or combinations thereof, which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated implementations of the disclosure. In addition, although a particular feature of the disclosure may have been illustrated and/or described with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, references to singular components or items are intended, unless otherwise specified, to encompass two or more such components or items. Also, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in the detailed description and/or in the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising”. The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations.
Claims
1. A light source, comprising:
- at least one light emitting element; and
- a base assembly comprising: a base structure having an interior, a generally cylindrical first portion, and first and second electrically conductive contacts, and a ballast or driver operative to selectively convert power received from the threaded socket to provide power to the at least one light emitting element, the ballast or driver comprising a circuit board assembly located at least partially within the interior of the base structure, the circuit board assembly comprising multiple layers and including at least one embedded electrical component formed between adjacent layers of the circuit board assembly.
2. The light source of claim 1, where the circuit board assembly is round and includes a circular outer surface proximate an inner surface of the first portion of the base structure.
3. The light source of claim 2, where the circuit board assembly is located completely within the interior of the base structure.
4. The light source of claim 2, where the base assembly comprises potting material formed around at least a portion of the circuit board assembly in the interior of the base structure.
5. The light source of claim 2, further comprising a mirror located between the at least one light emitting element and the ballast or driver, the mirror including a reflective surface at least partially facing toward the at least one light emitting element.
6. The light source of claim 2, where the circuit board assembly includes a thermally conductive core layer formed between an upper adjacent layer and a lower adjacent layer and operative to conduct heat toward the inner surface of the first portion of the base structure.
7. The light source of claim 6, where the circuit board assembly includes at least one thermal via structure extending through at least one of the layers to the core layer to conduct heat toward the core layer.
8. The light source of claim 7, where the base assembly comprises potting material formed around at least a portion of the circuit board assembly in the interior of the base structure.
9. The light source of claim 2, comprising at least one application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mounted to an outer layer of the circuit board assembly.
10. The light source of claim 2, where the ballast or driver includes at least one pot core magnetic component located at least partially within the interior of the base structure.
11. The light source of claim 1, where the circuit board assembly is located completely within the interior of the base structure.
12. The light source of claim 1, where the base assembly comprises potting material formed around at least a portion of the circuit board assembly in the interior of the base structure.
13. The light source of claim 1, further comprising a mirror located between the at least one light emitting element and the ballast or driver, the mirror including a reflective surface at least partially facing toward the at least one light emitting element.
14. The light source of claim 1, where the circuit board assembly includes a thermally conductive core layer formed between an upper adjacent layer and a lower adjacent layer and operative to conduct heat toward the inner surface of the first portion of the base structure.
15. The light source of claim 14, where the circuit board assembly includes at least one thermal via structure extending through at least one of the layers to the core layer to conduct heat toward the core layer.
16. The light source of claim 1, comprising at least one active application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mounted to an outer layer of the circuit board assembly.
17. The light source of claim 1, comprising at least one passive application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mounted to an outer layer of the circuit board assembly.
18. The light source of claim 1, where the ballast or driver includes at least one pot core magnetic component located at least partially within the interior of the base structure.
19. The light source of claim 1, where the ballast or driver includes a flex board with an outer surface at least partially proximate an inner surface of the first portion of the base structure.
20. The light source of claim 18, where the flex board is formed in a partial cylindrical shape with the outer surface of the flex board proximate the inner surface of the first portion of the base structure through an angle that is less than 360 degrees and more than 180 degrees.
21. The light source of claim 18, where the flex board is formed in a U-shape.
22. The light source of claim 18, where the flex board is formed in a V-shape.
23. The light source of claim 1, where the at least one light emitting element is an LED.
24. The light source of claim 1, where the at least one light emitting element is a fluorescent lamp, a halogen lamp, or a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp.
25. The light source of claim 1, where the at least one embedded electrical component is an embedded resistor.
26. The light source of claim 1, where the at least one embedded electrical component is an embedded capacitor.
27. The light source of claim 1, where the at least one embedded electrical component is an embedded inductor.
28. The light source of claim 1, where the base assembly is an Edison base assembly, and where the generally cylindrical first portion of the base structure comprises a threaded outer surface forming the first electrically conductive contact to engage a threaded socket, and where the second electrically conductive contact is separated from the first electrically conductive contact by an electrically insulative structure.
29. A light source, comprising:
- at least one light emitting element; and
- a base assembly comprising: a base structure having an interior, a generally cylindrical first portion, and first and second electrically conductive contacts, and a ballast or driver operative to selectively convert power received from the threaded socket to provide power to the at least one light emitting element, the ballast or driver comprising a circuit board assembly located at least partially within the interior of the base structure, the circuit board assembly comprising a flex board with an outer surface proximate an inner surface of the first portion of the base structure.
30. The light source of claim 29, where the flex board is formed in a partial cylindrical shape with the outer surface of the flex board proximate the inner surface of the first portion of the base structure through an angle that is less than 360 degrees and more than 180 degrees.
31. The light source of claim 29, where the flex board is located completely within the interior of the base structure.
32. The light source of claim 29, where the flex board is formed in a U-shape.
33. The light source of claim 29, where the flex board is formed in a V-shape.
34. The light source of claim 29, where the ballast or driver includes at least one pot core magnetic component located at least partially within the interior of the base structure.
35. The light source of claim 29, where the base assembly comprises potting material formed around at least a portion of the flex board in the interior of the base structure.
36. The light source of claim 29, further comprising a mirror located between the at least one light emitting element and the ballast or driver, the mirror including a reflective surface at least partially facing toward the at least one light emitting element.
37. The light source of claim 29, where the at least one light emitting element is an LED.
38. The light source of claim 29, where the at least one light emitting element is a fluorescent lamp, a halogen lamp, or a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp.
39. The light source of claim 29, where the base assembly is an Edison base assembly, and where the generally cylindrical first portion of the base structure comprises a threaded outer surface forming the first electrically conductive contact to engage a threaded socket, and where the second electrically conductive contact is separated from the first electrically conductive contact by an electrically insulative structure.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 28, 2010
Publication Date: May 3, 2012
Patent Grant number: 8749161
Applicant:
Inventors: Louis Robert Nerone (Brecksville, OH), Virgil A. Chichernea (Mentor, OH), David Joseph Kachmarik (Strongsville, OH), Himamshu Prasad
Application Number: 12/914,116
International Classification: F21V 23/00 (20060101);